I Can't Catch my Breath
by lucayagarbage
Summary: —You're not supposed to. Jess & Rory oneshots.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey there folks!1!111! So basically I went down a hole and favent written fanfic in like 37424712801283097 years but I recently started watching Gilmore Girls and Jess and Rory stole my entire heart and tore it to shreds and I need an outlet for this angst. So I guess I'm starting a jory oneshot book for whenever I feel like writing stuff about them. So enjoy this thingy woot woot !**

 **Summary: Rory recently broke up with Dean, and she finds none other than Jess fighting Dean in the town square only days later. And she is pissed the hickity heck off! I'm not good at summaries. Read it pls k bye**

"Rory, sweetie you gotta hurry up if we wanna go to Luke's before you have school!" Rory hears her mom, Lorelai call from the kitchen. Rory stands in her living room with her backpack in front of her on the couch as she tries to stuff a third book inside.

"I know, just give me a sec!" Rory calls back, letting go of her bag's zipper with a sigh after a fifth unsuccessful attempt at getting her bag closed. She pulls out her copy of _Jane Eyre,_ deciding to carry it with her free hand today. Rory holds the book, zipping her bag closed and swinging it over her shoulder. "Coming!"

"Okay good, hurry up. I have a wedding happening this week at the inn, and Michelle is gonna have my head cut off and put on the bouquet if I'm not there by 8:15." Lorelai says as she walks into the living room, grabbing her keys off of the coffee table. "Chop chop girlie, waffles await!"

"I don't know, I think I'm feeling french toast today." Rory shrugs, following Lorelai out the door. "With powdered sugar. And loads of whipped cream."

"Ooh! Ooh—or, you could ask Luke for a waffle-french-toast-sandwich." Lorelai grins, the two of them walking off their porch and to the car.

"Yeah, like he'd do that."

"Oh, but you see he loves me, remember? I'll just bat my pretty blue eyes at him and we could get whatever we want from him." Lorelai says jokingly, saying the words 'loves me' in a mocking tone. "We can get endless waffle-french-toast-sandwiches. And bottomless cups of coffee."

"You know, I could get used to this whole you dating Luke thing." Rory nods. "It was weird at first, but free food really does win me over."

"Glad to hear it, chippie."

"Not that I'll start calling him pops soon or anything, but.."

"Ah, would you please?" Lorelai responds in a jokingly hopeful tone, the two of them laughing and getting into the car. Lorelai puts the key in the ignition, starting the car and backing out of their driveway.

It had been around a month since Lorelai started dating Luke, and they seemed really happy. Luke scowled significantly less, which was shocking, and Lorelai was grinning like an idiot practically 24 hours a day.

The two of them drive in silence for a moment, Rory staring out the window and watching the trees go by.

"So, Ror.. how are you feeling today? You seem in a better mood than yesterday." Lorelai asks in a more serious tone, glancing at Rory for a moment before looking back to the road.

Three days before, Rory had broken up with her boyfriend of almost a year, Dean. He had become uncomfortably clingy in the past few weeks, especially since Rory had been getting closer with Luke's nephew, Jess. Rory did nothing but tell Dean that her and Jess were just friends, but she was sick of needing to do so. While yes, Rory would have been lying if she said she wasn't attracted to Jess in the slightest—with his messy brown hair that always seemed to need to be cut, his fascinating dark green eyes, defined jawline, and his soft looking lips that always seemed to be turned up in a boyish smirk—Jess could only be described as dreamy; but that wasn't the point. Dean should have trusted her when she said she didn't want to be with Jess, but he couldn't. And Rory didn't want to be in a relationship without trust.

"I'm better. I guess I did need a wallowing period, but I think I'm gonna be fine. I'm confident in my decision to end that relationship." Rory shrugs, speaking confidently. "The only sad part is thinking of what we used to have, but it just changed. _We_ just changed. This is for the better."

"Well, Judy Blume, I am so glad you've come to this conclusion. Really, Rory. I'm proud of you." Lorelai smiles at her before looking back to the road. "Not to mention how ready I am to not hear that boy leave you ten messages a day."

"Oh boy, tell me about it." Rory chuckles.

The two of them reach the town square after a few more turns, Lorelai parking in a spot by the town's public school, across the street from Luke's diner. Rory looks outside to see her best friend, Lane, sitting on the steps of the school, headphones on as she reads a magazine intently.

"Hey mom, you go and get a table. I'm gonna go say hi to Lane, I'll be right there." Rory says, picking up her backpack and opening her car door, Lorelai opening hers too.

"Leaving me alone with my boyfriend? With no supervision? You're the coolest." Lorelai teases as the two of them step out of the car.

"Tell him to have you home by nine!" Rory calls after her mom as she paces backwards towards the diner.

"Lame!" Lorelai calls back, before she turns and crosses the street.

Rory smiles to herself, walking over to the steps where Lane is.

Lane sees her as she approaches, and takes her headphones off, letting them sit around her neck.

"Rory, hey! What're you doing here?" Lane smiles as Rory sits beside her.

"I'm going to Luke's before I have to get to Chilton." Rory replies, Lane nodding. "Why are you here though? School here doesn't start till 8:30, does it?"

"I have zero period on Mondays. Marching band." Lane says with a roll of her eyes. "My mom found out that I've been purposefully late to band several times this month to try out the drums in one of the practice rooms, so she took me a half hour early today."

"That's rough." Rory says with a look of slight disgust, before looking around the courtyard and realizing how many kids there are already there. "But then how come so many kids are already here?"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure Mr. Hall is doing some sort of test review for an exam one of his classes has today." Lane explains. "It's a big class.. there's like two different periods for two different groups of kids."

"Maybe it'd do them some good to hire another teacher to help him out." Rory chuckles.

"Well, that may be how it works at your fancy nancy school, but we're cheap over here at Stars Hollow High." Lane says in a sarcastic tone, raising her brows.

"Well, that's just—" Rory starts, before her attention is grabbed by a yell from a few yards behind her.

" _Would you shut the hell up!"_

Rory and Lane both immediately look over to the spectacle that they heard, and Rory almost can't believe what she sees.

Jess, the reason for her breakup—right in the middle of sending a punch across the face of Dean—the one she broke up with.

"Oh, no.." Rory mutters, her and Lane immediately standing and rushing over to where the crowd is forming. Rory hears the sound of another punch, and a sound of pain that sounds awfully like Jess' voice.

"Out of my way, please!" Rory says as she pushes her way through the crowd, hearing more punches as she walks. The last person steps aside and she sees them—Dean on the ground as Jess holds the collar of his shirt, sending another punch across his face. Rory can see injuries forming on both of their faces already.

"Take it _back!_ " Jess exclaims.

Dean pushes Jess off of him with all of his strength, Jess stumbling back as Dean stands, the look of rage on his face seeming to grow stronger. Rory sees Dean pull back for another punch, before she intervenes.

"Both of you! Both of you!" Rory exclaims, running up and standing in between them. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing!?"

"Rory, get out of the way. He could have just hit you." Jess replies as if he didn't hear a word she said, his eyes still furiously fixated on Dean.

"You think _I_ would hit her? Are you kidding?" Dean chuckles mirthlessly.

"You may not have meant to, but hey, she was so far below you—oh, you being seven feet tall and all.. I thought you may have missed her." Jess says dryly, Rory shocked by his ability to remain so witty when he looks like there's steam coming from his ears. "And we all know it takes your brain a little longer to process things than it does for others, so—"

"That is _it!_ " Dean fumes, nudging Rory aside to get to Jess. However, Rory didn't expect this shove in the slightest—and let's be real, she was never very coordinated either—and before she knows it, she finds herself stumbling back onto the ground. She feels a sting in her palm as it scrapes against the cement; the crowd letting out collective hushed gasps and whispers to each other.

Rory looks up at Jess and Dean to see the both of them looking at her, and Jess' expression suddenly loses any bit of dry humor towards the situation that it had left. She sees nothing in those dark eyes of his, nothing but rage.

"Jess, wait, he didn't mean—"

"Are you _kidding me right now?"_ Jess exclaims in outrage, grabbing Dean's collar.

"She was in the way. It's not my fault that she tripped."

"No, you do not get to say that bullshit and get away with it." Jess fumes, holding his shirt so that their faces are inches apart. "I don't care what you do to me. Beat me until I'm unconscious for all I care, but I swear to _god,_ if you lay a finger on her ever again, you will be sorry you were ever born. You got that?"

"Get off of me, man," is Dean's only response, shoving Jess off of him roughly.

Jess grabs Dean's shirt again, pure rage in his face as he sends another punch into Dean's jaw. Rory pushes herself up off the ground, grabbing Jess' arm and holding him back with all her strength.

"Jess,stop!" Rory exclaims, tears forming in her eyes.

"Rory, let go.."

"Jess. Look at me." Rory argues, taking Jess' other shoulder in her hand and turning him so he's facing her. "Walk away."

Jess' eyes link with Rory's, his expression immediately softening. All the rage, the fury, the inhumanity she saw in his face just before; all fades into one look—longing. His eyes meet hers and she sees them tell her he loves her over and over again, not a word needed to be said. And Rory can feel her eyes say the same.

"Walk away." Rory repeats, softer this time.

Jess looks at her with that same glint in his eyes for another moment before he breaks their eye contact, wiping some blood from his nose with his sleeve.

"Come on, you need first aid." Rory says quite flatly, taking his arm and pushing him towards the school. She approaches Lane, who is wearing a shocked expression on her face.

"Lane, can you go run over to Luke's and fill in my mom? Tell her I'll be right there." Rory asks Lane as she passes her by, Lane nodding and briefly putting a sympathetic hand on her shoulder before heading in the other direction.

"Yeah, go tend to your guy.." Dean grumbles from a few feet away, wiping his nose as well.

"Dean, for once in your life, would you please put a sock in it!?" Rory whips her head around to glare at him as she says so, quickly turning back around and continuing to push Jess. "Come _on_."

Rory and Jess walk up the stairs to the entrance of the school, everyone in the courtyard giving them looks as Rory tightly holds the back of his shirt. Jess doesn't say a word, letting Rory push him around until the reach the school's front doors.

The two of them enter the empty hallway silently, before Jess takes her arm in his hand and removes his shirt from her grasp.

"I'm goin'." He says simply, Rory having no response as the two of them walk into the boy's bathroom.

Rory watches as Jess strolls over to the sink, and she waits for the door to swing closed behind them before she speaks.

"Jess, what on.. _Earth,_ I just.. What?" Rory sputters in complete disbelief and anger, Jess doing nothing, cooly rinsing his hands in the sink with no readable expression on his face. Rory opens her mouth, her breath hitching in her throat as she gathers what to say to him. "What the _hell_ were you thinking? What is wrong with you?"

"It's nothing. Just go." Jess says flatly, still turned towards the mirrors as he rubs clean the cuts on his knuckles.

"Really? That's what you have to say to me?" Rory chuckles mirthfully in disbelief. "And you won't even look at me?"

Jess turns off the faucet, looking up to the ceiling briefly as his jaw clenches before he turns and faces Rory.

"Here. I'm looking at you." Jess states flatly. "What'd you want from me?"

"What do I _want?_ " Rory scoffs. "I want an explanation! I want to know why I break up with my boyfriend, and three days later you're _fighting him_ in the courtyard?"

"He was being an ass." Jess responds irritably. "Now would you stop interrogating me and let me wash off your scrape?"

"He was being an ass? You call that an explanation?" Rory shakes her head, disregarding his request to clean her wound. "My mom was being an ass this morning when she ate the last pop tart, and I didn't beat her till she bled!"

"It wasn't something like that.." Jess replies with slight exasperation in his tone, rolling his eyes briefly. "He was saying stuff. Shitty stuff."

"Then what was it? Enlighten me, Jess! Tell me what it is that he way saying that made him such a total _ass_ that you couldn't keep yourself from trying to break his nose? Because I can think of plenty of thing you could have done instead of—"

"He was saying stuff about _you._ " Jess interrupts. "Saying all this shit about how he dumped you because you wouldn't put out, and how you were a pain, and a bitch, and.. I couldn't take it. I couldn't just stand there and let him say that shit, okay? I told him to can it, but he wouldn't listen. He started saying that _I_ was screwing you." Jess lets go of a frustrated breath, running a hand through his hair, ruffling it. "And I'm _sorry,_ Rory, but I'm not a person who can just sit around while someone says that crap about you. I can't."

Rory says nothing, looking at him in the eyes with that same depth as before.

"Now you've got an explanation, would you let me take care of your hand?" Jess sighs, seemingly paying no attention to the many cuts and already-forming-bruises on his own face.

While Rory can't make herself be mad at him for defending her, she feels a wave of emotions rushing inside of her at the sight of him in pain. She can't be mad at him for defending her, but how could he be so reckless? Rory hates looking at him hurt. She can hardly stand it.

"No, I'm cleaning you up. You don't get to just wipe yourself off with a paper towel and go home." Rory rambles, breaking their eye contact and taking her backpack off her shoulders to look through it for her travel-size first aid kit. She ignores the look she can tell he's giving her as she fishes through her bag, for that all she can do—ignore him. If she looks into his eyes again, she's afraid she might burst into tears.

"Rory.."

"Found it." Rory cuts him off, pulling her small first aid kit out of her bag.

"You have a first aid kit? Just on you?" Jess asks dryly, a small smirk playing on his lips.

"Just because you only carry your copy of Silas Marner and a lighter doesn't mean that's all anyone else has." Rory states, taking out an antiseptic wipe and unwrapping it. "Now don't move your face."

Rory walks up to Jess with the wipe, placing one hand on the side of his neck and starting to wipe away dried blood around a cut on his eyebrow. She can feel Jess staring right at her eyes, but she keeps her gaze glued to the cut as she cleans it.

 _I'm still mad at him._

She begins to wipe at the second cut on his cheekbone, finishing with the wipe. Rory removes her hand from Jess' neck and hears him softly exhale, his eyes following her as she takes the wipe and throws it in the trash.

"I think you'll only need one band aid, since the cut on your eyebrow isn't really bleeding much anymore." Rory rambles, grabbing a small band aid from her first aid kit and unwrapping it as she steps closer to Jess.

"Rory, you don't need to—"

"And you should probably put ointment on both of them when you're at home.." Rory continues as she places the band aid on Jess' cheek. "I don't have an ointment on me, but I think this'll suffice until—"

" _Rory._ " Jess repeats, gently taking her wrist in his hand.

For the first time since she started tending to him, Rory looks right into Jess' eyes. And there's that look again.

Rory sees as Jess' eyes flicker down to her lips briefly, then back up to her eyes again. She notices as he starts to lean forwards slowly, as if he couldn't help it; as if he was being pulled closer to her by a magnet. And then his eyes are on her lips again.

And then he's kissing her, both his hands sliding onto the sides of her neck and into her hair. He tilts his head to the side to deepen the kiss, his lips fitting perfectly against hers. Rory feels as if she's dropping on a rollercoaster, her heart beating out of her chest as the kiss quickens and intensifies.

 _But I'm still mad at him._

Then that thought suddenly flashes through Rory's mind: the thought of Jess being punched. The thought of him being pushed to the ground. The thought of the cuts on his face being given to him by a fist, a fist that he was practically begging for.

"No." Rory says suddenly, pushing him away and standing a few feet from him. She looks at him, cuts on his face, a bruise forming around his cheek, and it hurts her. She feels tears start to steam in her eyes, and she knows she can't stop them. "You can't just kiss me, and make everything okay.. It's not okay. You're hurt, and it's your fault that you're hurt!"

"Rory, I—"

"No, you listen." Rory states, the tears running down her cheeks putting a look of unimaginable pain in Jess' eyes. He immediately rushes to her and caresses her face, wiping the tears away, Rory pushing him away again. "You can't just be reckless like this all the time! I can't stand it, I can't stand feeling like you're gonna go out and get yourself hospitalized every damn day! I don't want you starting fights like that, especially not over me. I can fight my own battles."

"Rory, I'm never not going to protect you. You mean too much to me." Jess says with more emotion in his voice now, tears streaming down Rory's face again. "If that's what you want from me, I'm sorry, but I'm too fucking bad _in love with you_ to just sit around when someone is treating you badly. So I'm sorry for hurting you, and I'm sorry if you don't want me involved, but I can't be sorry for loving you."

"Jess, you don't get it!" Rory chuckles mirthlessly, looking to her feet for a moment, tears still in her eyes. "I don't want you getting in these fights because seeing you hurt like this.. it _kills me_. It's because _I love you._ I love you so much that it hurts, and the thought of you hurt makes it so much worse."

Jess looks at her with a whirlwind of emotion across his face—shock, happiness, apology, desire—but it all translates to one: love. Unwavering, unapologetic, knocks-the-wind-out-of-you kind of love.

"I love you, Jess." Rory repeats, and Jess doesn't waste another moment before he walks up to her, taking her face in his hands and kissing her with everything in him. Rory kisses back passionately, taking the collar of his shirt in her fists.

Rory feels Jess' hands slide down to her waist before he fully wraps his arms around her, pulling her flush against him. Rory drapes her arms over his shoulders, moving one hand to the back of his head and lightly tugging on the roots of his hair. The kiss deepens, Jess' kisses feeling gentle yet connected, and holding immeasurable amounts of love for her.

The kiss soon slows it's pace, Jess letting Rory go from his embrace and placing his hands gingerly on her waist.

They then pull away from each other's lips, their faces still inches apart. Rory lets a small smile spread across her face, Jess wearing a similar one as he rests his forehead on hers. He then plans another soft kiss on her lips, this one brief; Jess then draping his arms over her waist and looking into her eyes, his face still close enough to Rory's for her to feel his breath against her skin.

"Now would you let me clean off your hand?" Jess says dryly with that smirk of his, Rory chuckling as he says so. "Because I'd like to kiss you again later, but it could be a little hard with your bloody hand in the way."

"Okay, deal." Rory sighs with a smile. Jess smiles too, taking her face in both his hands and planting another kiss on her head before he gets a wipe from Rory's first aid kit. Rory hops up on the sink counter, sitting down with a smile. She feels as if she can't stop smiling.

Jess then steps forwards and gently takes her hand, wiping away bits of blood and dirt from her palm with the wipe. He then takes a large band aid and places it over the wound, taking her hand in both of his and giving it a kiss.

"All better?" Rory asks jokingly, Jess' hand lingering around hers.

"Good as new." Jess smiles, Rory taking the front of his shirt in her hand and kissing him again.

"Not to burst your bubble, but you might be late to your fancy school if you don't stop kissing me." Jess smirks against her lips, Rory's hands staying on the front of his shirt.

"I can have one late day." Rory shrugs, planting a soft kiss on his cheek, and then one on his jawline. "Just a few more minutes."

"Rory Gilmore, late for school?" Jess says dryly, Rory softly kissing his cheek again, dangerously close to his lips. "You sure you don't wanna just resume this later today?"

"Well, sorry Mariano, but I gotta make up for lost time." Rory replies, planting another kiss on his jawline.

"Touché.." Jess smirks, slowly leaning forwards until his lips meet hers again. Rory kisses him deeply, her fingers running through his hair, and then she pulls away.

"Okay, _now_ I can go." Rory smiles as she hops off the counter, pleased with herself.

Jess stands there as Rory slowly walks backwards towards the door, his cheeks flushed and his hair tousled from her kisses. "Wow, okay. I see how it is." He scoffs with a smile.

"See you after school to resume!" Rory smiles before she heads to the door. "And don't forget to use ointment!"

"Yeah, yeah. Back at you and your hand, weirdo." Jess chuckles.

Rory smiles at him once more before turning to leave, but he stops her before she can.

"Oh, and Rory," Jess says, Rory turning back around again.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too." Rory blushes, before adding, "Rocky."

"Hey, does that make you Adrian?"

"God, I hope not. I'm going to school now."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey there kiddos :) I'm back on my bullshit with another fic, doing this instead of studying algebra 2 lol whatever.. Also someone informed me the ship name is literati, not jory so I'll go with that**

 **Summary: On the day of Jess and Rory's wedding, Rory's perfectionist qualities send her into a panicked frenzy while Jess worries about messing something up like he always does**

 **Also;; tell me if y'all are interested in a oneshot about jess proposing? I mention it a bit in this but I was thinking of doing a one shot on how he does it and what he says and such.. lmk if I should ! :)**

Rory had been thinking about this day for most of her life, or at least ever since she saw the Princess Bride for the first time when she was a little kid. While she was never very boy-crazy, and she didn't ever really fantasize about meeting Mr. Right like some girls seemed to, the thought of wearing a pretty dress and dancing and eating cake with a handsome man was a pleasant thought that would cross her mind now and again.

However when Jess proposed, weddings were practically all that was on her mind for months. She had never really even expected Jess to propose in the first place. Not because she thought they'd break up, but she thought marriage wasn't really his thing. Ultimately, she was fine with the idea of staying unmarried—it was the 21st century after all, and she was content having her job at the New York Times, just as she was content with having Jess in her life, husband or not. And while there may have always been a part of her that thought that maybe someday they would get married and settle down, she always pictured that possibility as being way in the future. It never really crossed her mind that it would be when she was 21.

And not only was Rory a complete perfectionist who would have been driving herself crazy planning the wedding in the first place, but there was so much riding on the event that she could hardly think straight. Rory had to prove to her entire town and her grandparents that she wasn't too young, and the whole thing wasn't going to be a disaster. And more important than anything was the fact that it was for Jess. Rory felt it with every ounce of her being that she'd only be getting married once, and she wanted it to be perfect for him. She _needed_ it to be perfect for him.

However, here she finds herself on her wedding day, pacing in the room booked for the bridesmaids at the Dragonfly Inn, only a half hour from when she needs to be walking down the aisle—and suddenly, she feels that everything is wrong.

"Rory, honey.. You gotta calm down, okay?" Lorelai sighs at a pacing Rory. They're both in complete wedding attire; Lorelai in a burgundy bridesmaid dress, and Rory in a white dress and veil. Lane, Sookie and Paris, her other bridesmaids, had went off to talk to the people arriving and get snacks, leaving only Rory and her mother in the room. Rory nervously fiddles with her bridal bouquet of roses, almost tripping over her poofy skirt as she walks back and forth.

"Everything's wrong, I know it is." Rory shakes her head, stopping her pace and facing the mirror. She looks at herself; the black eyeliner making her blue eyes practically glow in contrast, shimmery eyeshadows on her eyelids, the red tinting her lips, the neatly combed bangs and the straight brown locks that frame her face. "The colors, the flowers, the dress, everything."

"Sweetie, you're gonna be fine. The set up is beautiful, it really is. It's so perfect for you and Jess, there's not a doubt in my mind." Lorelai replies sweetly, walking over to Rory and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"But even the world's best decorations and dresses wouldn't be good enough for Grandma." Rory states, "I mean, Grandma is already mad that I turned down all of her frivolous requests on full string quartets and designer dresses. Imagine how mad she's gonna be about my wedding colors being burgundy and gold? God, she'll have a fit!"

"Rory, the colors are beautiful, so are the flowers, and the centerpieces, and all of—."

"And you know Grandma never approved of Jess either? She hated him. And in the beginning, god, even the town hated him. They hated us together. Even Luke, Jess' own uncle, he hated us together too."

"Honey, that was in the past. They all love Jess now. So do I."

"But Grandma?"

"Rory.." Lorelai sighs, rubbing her temple before taking Rory's hand and having her sit down beside her on the bed. "Your Grandmother's complete and utter approval is always impossible to get, unless everything is going exactly her way. No matter what colors you chose, or what dresses you picked out.. She wouldn't be happy with you unless you were marrying Logan Huntzberger at Martha's Vineyard."

"I know.." Rory chuckles, shaking her head and looking at the bouquet in her lap.

"And Ror, you gotta know, my mother's approval is not something you should care that much about. Her opinion is almost always selfish, and entitled, and just about as open-minded as the opinions and beliefs of the likes of Joseph Stalin." Lorelai adds, Rory responding with a chuckle. "I mean, don't you remember what my mother thinks of Luke?"

"Hates him." Rory sighs with a raise of her brows.

"Loathes entirely." Lorelai nods, before nudging Rory's arm and adding, "But hey, I went and married the son of a gun anyways."

"You sure did." Rory chuckles.

"Look," Lorelai sighs with a chuckle, wrapping an arm around Rory's shoulders, "all I'm saying is that her opinion isn't something to get hung up on. She still loves you to death, and there are fifty other people at this wedding who support you unconditionally."

"I know, it's just.." Rory sighs. "It's Jess. I love him so much, and I just want everything about this day to be completely perfect for us. You know that Grandma isn't my favorite person, and I don't care about her opinion, but.. I just want this to be perfect. I want everyone here to be happy for us. I mean, if this party is supposed to represent how much love I have for him.. Well, then I failed."

"Rory, that's a good sign." Lorelai smiles, giving Rory a squeeze. "That means you love him more than a party could ever sum up."

"Yeah, I know.." Rory replies. "I'm just so scared something will go wrong. I don't want to have to remember this day and think of something disappointing, or embarrassing."

"You're just nervous, babe. It's totally normal." Lorelai replies. "Everything's gonna be incredible."

"How do you know? So many things could go wrong. I could trip in these damn heels, Dean could make some sort of scene with Jess, Grandma and Grandpa could criticize every little piece of the wedding.." Rory stands again, pacing with her hands on her forehead, until she thinks of something that stops her in her tracks. "What if this isn't what Jess even wants?"

"Honey, that's crazy.."

"No, it's not, Mom. No person in their right mind would peg Jess as the marriage type. I wouldn't! It's the opposite of who he is. He probably felt pressured to ask me. He probably doesn't even want this."

"Rory, you need to calm down. He _loves_ you. I've seen the way that boy looks at you." Lorelai stands, putting her hands on Rory's shoulders. "He looks at you like he didn't know how to breathe before he met you. You're his whole world, and everyone knows it."

"Maybe I was, but.. What if this pushes him away? What if he only proposed because he thought it was what I wanted, and now he's gonna resent me for it because marriage isn't who he is?"

"Rory.."

"No, Mom. You don't understand." Rory pulls away from her mothers hand, walking to the bathroom.

"Rory, what're you—"

"I just need a minute." Rory states, on the verge of tears, before closing the bathroom door behind her.

* * *

"What the hell was I thinking, proposing?" Jess says, running a hand through his hair, which was admittedly in need of a trim. Rory said she liked it when it was shaggier, but he was starting to feel like he should have cut it anyways. "I'll be a disaster of a husband, Rory must know that. Rory's anything but dumb. She probably only said yes because she was taken by surprise when I proposed.. God knows she's too nice to say no."

"Jess, for the love of god, would you shut the hell up?" Luke says flatly, fixing his tie in the mirror, the two of them standing in the room at the dragonfly reserved for the groomsmen. "That girl went around for a month showing that ring to anyone who crossed her path. When the two of you came into my diner to tell me, it was like you both couldn't stop grinning. I didn't know _your_ face could do that. Grin."

"Well yeah, I never said _I'm_ not happy with this. I wanna marry her more than anything. I love her." Jess nods with a shrug, sitting on one of the beds. "But who knows if she's ready? I mean, she's such a perfectionist, she worries about everything.. She's probably going crazy right now. What if she's getting cold feet? She's probably getting cold feet."

"She's not getting cold feet." Luke says flatly, rolling his eyes and sitting beside Jess.

"You don't know that. I mean, why wouldn't she be getting cold feet? She's marrying _me_." Jess replies, giving Luke an unamused look.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?" Luke furrows his brows.

"I'm the guy who got her in a car accident when we were 17. I'm the one who beat up her ex at a party once."

"Okay, you were swerving away from an animal, and Dean started the fight. I know that for a fact. Dean admitted it to me the next day.. He's always been a pushover." Luke snorts, adjusting his cufflinks.

"I also just.. left her." Jess adds, Luke sighing before Jess continues. "We had plans, back when we were eighteen. I even looked up how far Yale was from Stars Hollow. We were on a good track, and then I just left. I'm an idiot."

"Hey, come on. You're not an idiot." Luke replies. "Yeah, you've made mistakes. So has everyone. And you were young, and you were in a weird situation, with your mom and school and everything.. I shouldn't have kicked you out."

"Yeah, you should have. I was the one being an idiot and skipping school to drive a forklift." Jess scoffs.

"Well hey, at least the thing you were skipping school for was a paying job at Walmart." Luke smiles slightly, Jess chuckling and running a hand through his brown hair again. "You even made employee of the month. That shows dedication."

"Yeah, yeah.." Jess chuckles, adjusting the sleeve of his tuxedo's coat. "It's just.. It's Rory. She deserves a lot better than me."

"Look, I don't know what girl you think you proposed to, but I know that Rory is making the right decision by marrying you. She's changed you, Jess. You're nothing like you were when you were dropped off here at seventeen. You're mature now. You're a published author. You've been reliable for her for two years now. _You deserve her_." Luke says, Jess looking up at Luke before giving a slight smile and looking back to his hands. "And even if she does deserve better.. It wouldn't matter. She chose you. She loves you. Whether you like it or not."

Jess sighs, ruffling his hair before he shrugs. "She's just.. She's the most amazing person I've ever met. She deserves everything she wants out of life, you know?"

"Yeah, she sure does." Luke nods in agreement, before looking over to Jess. "And guess who it is she wants?"

Jess chuckles, looking down to his shoes. "Yeah, that's the part I don't understand."

"You don't need to understand why she loves you, Jess." Luke replies. "All you have to do is keep loving her, and pray to god she doesn't stop loving you."

"I couldn't stop loving her if I tried." Jess says with a small smile, turning his head and looking at his shoes.

"And I bet she feels the same way." Luke says with a pat on Jess' back. "Now come on, that _bow tie_ of yours isn't tying itself."

"Would you stop mocking the bow tie?" Jess puts his hands out in defense, the two of them standing as Jess takes the tie off the dresser, looking in the mirror and flipping up his collar. "I'm getting married, it's the proper protocol."

"I know, It's just that oddly enough, I assumed you'd be the type to avoid marriage all together solely for the purpose of not having to wear a bow tie." Luke furrows his brows, standing behind Jess in the mirror. "Rory's really got you wrapped around her finger."

"What I do for my girl, I tell ya.." Jess says with a small smirk, finishing the tie and flipping his collar back down.

Luke chuckles, walking over to grab something off the sink counter, but he stops as they hear a knock on the room's door.

"Guys, it's Lorelai." They hear through the door. "It's kind of urgent."

Luke and Jess make slightly confused eye contact, Luke immediately going to the door and opening it.

"What's going on? Is everything okay? Is Rory okay? You look beautiful." Luke rambles in the same tone, closing his eyes for a moment before adding, "That last one slipped out."

"Thanks baby, you look great too.." Lorelai says briefly with a smile at Luke before turning to Jess. "But that's not what I'm here for.. uh, Jess. You need to come talk to Rory."

"She's getting cold feet, isn't she?" Jess sighs, scratching the back of his neck.

"No. Well.. sort of. But not for the reason you'd think." Lorelai rambles, making hand motions with her words like she always does. "It's not because of you or something you did. It's actually because you're like, too perfect and it's stressing her out. She's shut herself in the bathroom. Although, we're on the second story and there aren't any windows in the bathroom, so I don't think we need to worry about her making a run for it."

"Well then take me to her. I can talk to her." Jess nods, Lorelai sighing in relief and motioning to the door, before Luke interrupts.

"Hey, wait a minute, isn't it bad luck for him to see her?" Luke interjects.

"She can wear a robe for all I care." Jess replies. "I'm talking to my fiancé."

"Fair enough." Luke shrugs, the three of them heading out the door.

* * *

"Rory, you in here?" Jess asks the moment he opens the door to the room, walking in and finding the bathroom door immediately.

"Jess? What're you doing here?" Rory calls out from the bathroom. "You can't see me. We don't need bad luck."

Jess can hear by the tone of her voice that she's been crying, and he feels his heart break at the sound.

"You think I give a rat's ass about bad luck? I'm not gonna let you cry in there without talking to you." Jess chuckles mirthlessly.

"Then talk through the door." Rory says faintly.

"Rory, come on. No stupid luck could change the fact that I'm marrying you today, okay?" Jess rests his forehead on the door along with his hand, wishing she'd just let him hold her. "Now can I please see you?"

A beat.

"Fine. It's open."

Jess twists open the doorknob as soon as she mutters these words, his eyes finding hers immediately. She's sitting on the edge of the bathtub in her full bridal attire, veil, makeup and all. Her big blue eyes have some mascara tears running from them as she pouts up at him, but she still takes Jess' breath away with her beauty.

"Wow, you look.." Jess trails off, his heart swelling at the sight of her in the dress. Even with her tear stained face, it's better than he could have ever imagined.

"Like a total train wreck? Yeah, I know." Rory huffs, toying with her veil before Jess snaps out of his gaze and rushes to her side.

"I was gonna say beautiful, you knucklehead." Jess sits besides Rory on the tub, pulling her to his chest and gently stroking her hair as her arms wrap around his middle. "But what's goin' on, baby?"

There's a brief silence, one where Jess plans a long kiss on the top of Rory's head while she hugs him tightly.

"Jess.. why did you propose?"

The question surprises Jess, and almost frightens him. She must be getting cold feet.

"I proposed because you're the person I'm supposed to be with, I know it." Jess says, Rory loosening her embrace so she can look at Jess' face. "Ror, just tell me if this isn't what you want, okay? I know we're young, and if it's too much pressure for you I totally understand."

"No, this is what I want. Of course this is what I want. It's just.." Rory sighs, Jess moving a hand up to her face and gently stroking her cheek. "Is this what _you_ want?"

"Well, I did propose to you and everything."

"I know, but.. I can't help but feel like I pressured you into this." Rory shakes her head with worry, Jess furrowing his brows.

"What are you talking about?"

"Marriage isn't like you, Jess. But it is like me. And I don't want you to resent me for making you feel obligated to marry me. If you don't want to get married just tell me, because I couldn't live with myself if you resented me, okay? All I need is for you to love me, because I couldn't stop loving you if I tried, and if you're more likely to stay in love with me if we're not married, then that's what we should—"

And then Jess cuts her off by swooping her face up into a kiss. It's a soft and comforting one, Jess tenderly cupping her face in both of his hands. It takes Rory a moment to get past her surprise, but she soon sinks into the kiss, taking hold of his wrists and kissing back sweetly.

They break away slowly, Jess resting his forehead on Rory's and looking into her baby blue eyes, the eyes that always manage to melt his icy heart.

"Listen, Gilmore.. you could go full Bertha Mason on me and I'd still be falling for you more and more every day. You're the only one for me, got it?" Jess raises his brows at Rory, still holding her face in his hands. Rory gently strokes Jess' wrists with her thumbs and pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, nodding with a soft smile.

"You know, you aren't gonna be able to call me Gilmore by the end of today, seeing I'm getting a new last name and all." Rory replies with a small smile, Jess chuckling and placing another peck on her lips.

"That you are."


End file.
